Monday, January 10, 2011

Look at Jean. Look at Noah. Do Not Look at Bob. Bob Does Not Exist.

UPDATE: Stills were finally sent to me. All pictures by Mattson Tomlin. Thanks, Mattson!

This was going to go up earlier, but 2 things got in the way: I didn't receive stills (not that I expected to; the guy who was supposed to get them to me is still involved in a 3 day shoot for a movie I'll detail below) and I got caught up in writing a cover version of something. I can't tell you what. You'll have to come to my junior recital to see it. Let's just say it's definitely pop, and probably fairly easy to guess if you know me at all. But it will be wonderful.

As for the title of today's post: Sunday saw a friend and I involved in the shooting of The Gallery, a film currently in production by Kevin Henthorn, a junior film major at SUNY Purchase. He was looking for extras to mill around a gallery and generally look arty and such. Considering I haven't left home much this break (or left my room, for that matter), I jumped at the opportunity. Waking up at 8 was a bit difficult, but nonetheless we made it on time.
 

I learned something that day. I never, ever, ever want to direct a movie. Not in a thousand years. From 9:30  onwards, Kevin was working nonstop, not only with setting up for shots, directing a movie, giving directions to actors and actresses and what-have-you that goes into making a 20 minute film, but also keeping a cast of roughly 15 people happy throughout the day. We were let go at 6 PM, and Kevin and his crew were still going strong and would continue to be for the next 2 or 3 hours. Not only that, he did it all again today, and I believe they have one more day of shooting booked for tomorrow.

So, to Kevin, and directors everywhere: I fucking salute you.


As for the shoot itself, it wasn't without its share of golden moments. One scene required us to rush a French art director as he entered the space and fawn over him. Yours truly received something referred to as "Le Fist", which was a fist bump. This was after the character insulted all of us in French, something we were told to ignore, as we were just SO STAR-STRUCK by this man. His fake mustache kept falling off his face throughout the day and became a point of great ridicule.



Poor Bob. Bob was the art gallery director of the movie, and he kept getting the shaft when it came to his role. One scene had him trying to sell me and a couple of other extras a pair of upside down blue legs stuck into a base of concrete. We were told to say no. Bob was nonetheless persistent, trying for nearly 10 minutes to sell us what we affectionately termed "The Legs of the Queen of Avatar." Sadly it wasn't molded in the places that counted, a fact that the lead actress was none too pleased about when it was brought up in conversation. Hey, being on set for 5 or 6 hours straight eventually strips away your filters.


Here's a few more from the shoot:

The lead actor. I'm not sure what his real name is, but he plays Noah, the struggling artist portrayed in the film.

Darcie Wilder, another SUNY film junior. She was booming the shoot and keeping us all entertained with a gif of a dancing Pooh-Bear somebody had sent her. 

The camera was operated by Shane Sheehy, yet ANOTHER SUNY film junior. He was apparently a big fan of my disdainful head shaking I was required to do for a scene, and kept asking me to do it for the rest of the day.

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